CA_Vol
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I think many on here don't understand or refuse to acknowledge how badly our program was hurt as a result of the one and done Kiffin year and the subsequent Dooley debacle.
First, more than 20 players from the sole Kiffin class either left the program or were kicked off the team. Think about that. That is the equivalent of a MAJOR scholarship reduction penalty from the NCAA. It destroys your depth and your ability to remain competitive if injuries mount in addition to the fact that many of those players were or should have been significant contributors to the rebuilding of the program.
Secondly, the Dooley-era showed a staff that just wasn't able to recruit the type of talent you have to have in order to compete with the Oregon's, Bama's, etc. I looked at the starting offensive lineup for yesterday's game and didn't see one proven playmaker on the field. I think North has ability, but our current QB has a major issue with throwing the ball down field with accuracy. We have an offensive line that is good at pass blocking, but really mediocre at run blocking. I ask you if you were a DC, who on this offense would scare you?
And C, our defense is a lethal combination of young and slow, period. I think we have some players that have real potential and ability, but guys we have walk ons getting significant playing time. To make things worse, we have ZERO depth at DT and it just keeps getting worse. If we can't pressure QB's, our defense is going to get exposed often.
My point is, Jones has a major rebuilding project ahead of him because the last two staffs put us way behind from a talent point of view. And the scariest part, we may be in a worse position next year when we have to replace our entire offensive line!
You could hear it from Jones in his post game interview that we just don't have the play makers to compete at any level with the premier programs in the SEC or elsewhere and I think a lot of Volnation got way ahead of itself thinking we should be a 7-8 win team. I ask you, who on this roster instills that level of confidence? I just don't see the playmakers, yet.
I think Jones has already shown his recruiting ability and I hope this class stays together during what I suspect will be a pretty tough season. Bottom line, until we recruit and retain top talent, we certainly can't be expected to compete with top programs. I think Butch can and will get us there, but our fanbase needs to come back to earth a bit, start to fill the stadium, and support this rebuilding project, because it is a significant one.
First, more than 20 players from the sole Kiffin class either left the program or were kicked off the team. Think about that. That is the equivalent of a MAJOR scholarship reduction penalty from the NCAA. It destroys your depth and your ability to remain competitive if injuries mount in addition to the fact that many of those players were or should have been significant contributors to the rebuilding of the program.
Secondly, the Dooley-era showed a staff that just wasn't able to recruit the type of talent you have to have in order to compete with the Oregon's, Bama's, etc. I looked at the starting offensive lineup for yesterday's game and didn't see one proven playmaker on the field. I think North has ability, but our current QB has a major issue with throwing the ball down field with accuracy. We have an offensive line that is good at pass blocking, but really mediocre at run blocking. I ask you if you were a DC, who on this offense would scare you?
And C, our defense is a lethal combination of young and slow, period. I think we have some players that have real potential and ability, but guys we have walk ons getting significant playing time. To make things worse, we have ZERO depth at DT and it just keeps getting worse. If we can't pressure QB's, our defense is going to get exposed often.
My point is, Jones has a major rebuilding project ahead of him because the last two staffs put us way behind from a talent point of view. And the scariest part, we may be in a worse position next year when we have to replace our entire offensive line!
You could hear it from Jones in his post game interview that we just don't have the play makers to compete at any level with the premier programs in the SEC or elsewhere and I think a lot of Volnation got way ahead of itself thinking we should be a 7-8 win team. I ask you, who on this roster instills that level of confidence? I just don't see the playmakers, yet.
I think Jones has already shown his recruiting ability and I hope this class stays together during what I suspect will be a pretty tough season. Bottom line, until we recruit and retain top talent, we certainly can't be expected to compete with top programs. I think Butch can and will get us there, but our fanbase needs to come back to earth a bit, start to fill the stadium, and support this rebuilding project, because it is a significant one.
